PLAN YOUR TRIP

10 Top Experiences ........ 4Welcome to Melbourne & Victoria ........................ 17Need to Know ................. 18If You Like... ..................... 20Month by Month ............. 24Your Weekend Away ...... 27Victoria Outdoors ........... 33Itineraries ........................ 38Travel with Children ...... 43Regions at a Glance ....... 46

YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT

Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions

to help you put together your perfect trip

UNDERSTAND MELBOURNE & VICTORIA

Melbourne & Victoria Today ................. 308History ............................. 311Food & Wine .................... 321Fashion & Shopping ....... 327The Arts........................... 330Sport ................................ 337

urne &ia Today

NSWVICTORIA AUSTRALIA

population per sq km

≈ 3 people

19-today-mel8.indd 308-309 22/03/2011 12:37:25 PM

as Melbourne began its transformation into the mutoday. Melbourne and Geelong became leading manand times were good. During the early 1970s, a bourture’s experiments with radical theatre, drugs and rocthrough Carlton. By the later years of that decade, Mtion as a prim ‘establishment’ city was further challe

70,000-40,000 BC The rst humans

colonise southeastern Australia. The people

of the Kulin Nation live in the catchment

of the Yarra River; various other

tribes, speaking 38 languages, are spread

throughout Victoria.

Eurois at unmwith be fo

abandsix mofor Va

20-history-mel8.indd 311 15/03/2011 2:12:37 PM

Melbourne

1 Head down the many bluestone-laden laneways in Melbourne (p 52 ) to nd hidden, yet outstand-ing, restaurants and bright, bold street art that encapsulates the alternative vibe Melburnians

carry so well. Take your place on a milk crate in Degraves St and let a local barista change the way you think about co ee, then window-shop for quirky craft and clothes. Watch evening’s arrival by the Yarra River then, almost blindly, head up some stairs or down the very end of a gra ti-covered lane to nd a smooth drinking establishment serving up quality Victorian wine and beer. Centre Place, Melbourne

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“All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET

PAGE

1

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307GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP

Learn about the big picture, so you

can make sense of what you see

Travel with Children Best Regions for Kids Mornington Peninsula Summer sees smooth bay swimming and strawberry- and cherry-picking.

Phillip Island With wildlife parks, a puzzle world, a chocolate factory and those mighty cute penguins, you can’t go wrong with Phillip Island.

Great Ocean Road Warrnambool has childhood covered with its annual winter kids festival Fun4Kids (www.fun4kids.com.au), and there are few better spots to view whales and their calves.

The Murray Echuca has delightful paddle steamers chugging up the Murray. and kids will enjoy watching waterskiers carving up the river; book them in for a lesson.

The High Country Head here during ski season for bumps and bruises (Baw Baw and Mt Bu alo are suited for beginners) or during its ‘o peak’ period around Christmas, when it’s cooler than the rest of Victoria. Also see Mildura for Kids (p ### ) and Bendigo for Kids (p ### ) .

Melbourne & Victoria for Kids Melbourne is a great place to travel with kids; they’ll love a trip on the free City Circle tram, and museums and art galler-ies throughout Victoria have dedicated kids areas or, if they don’t, often provide activ-ity sheets that you can work on together as you walk on through. Victoria has plenty of parks and gardens to run around in, and some cities and towns, including Mel-bourne, Geelong and Woodend, have expan-sive, child-centric playgrounds that adults can get a kick out of too. See also boxed texts on p ### and p ### .

Eating Out Victoria’s recent birth-rate boost means families dining out together are common. Cafes not o ering ‘babycinos’ are few and far between, and even sta at Melbourne’s best restaurants have been known to make colouring-in sheets and coloured pencils magically appear on their linen-clad dining tables. Still, there is a ‘no pusher’ camp out there, so perhaps consider leaving strollers at the door rather than pushing through the crowd to your table.

Sleeping Plenty of Melbourne’s midrange hotels o er adjoining rooms (perfect when you need a little space) or are happy to set up another bed for an additional price. Some don’t

4 3

08-travel-with-children-mel8.indd 43 10/03/2011 12:19:02 PM

Top Events

Midsumma Festival, January

Melbourne International Comedy Festival, April Melbourne Writers’ Festival, August

AFL Grand Final, September

Melbourne Cup, November

January It can get asphalt-melting hot, with the only respite to be found in the cool water of beaches or in the High Country. Beach towns are packed with local holidaymakers and their families.

�3 Australian Open

The world’s top tennis play-ers and huge merry-making crowds descend on Mel-bourne Park for Australia’s Grand Slam championship. Grab a ground pass or book ahead to see a top seed from the arena seats. www.aus-tralianopen.com

�zMidsumma Festival

Melbourne’s gay and lesbian arts festival features over 150 events with a Pride March nale. Expect every-thing from lm screenings to same-sex dance sports and massive riverside dance parties. www.midsumma.org.au

�z Big Day Out This national rock-

fest comes to town at the end of January. Big names are guaranteed, and if you

miss out on the big day, many artists perform ‘side shows’ at venues around Melbourne. www.bigdayout.com

�z Chinese New Year

Melbourne has celebrated the Chinese lunar new year since Little Bourke St became Chinatown in the 1860s. The time to touch the dragon happens sometime towards the end of either January or early February. www.chinatownmelbourne.com.au

February Heat waves are likely, but since school holidays have ended, accommodation is plentiful by the beach. City folk are still in summer mode, filling the long evenings and weekends outside.

�z St Kilda Festival

This week-long festival ends in a suburb-wide street party on the nal Sunday (Festival Sunday). Massive crowds come for both the live music and atmosphere. www.stkildafestival.com.au

�5Melbourne Food & Wine

Festival Market tours, wine tast-ings, cooking classes and presentations by celeb chefs take place at venues across the state. Wineries and restaurants across Victoria hold events pro ling local produce. www.melbourne-foodandwine.com.au

�5 Harvest Picnic at Hanging

Rock Paranormal phenomena don’t get a look-in at this enormous group picnic, held at the base of the famous lmic rock. Stalls sell a wide

variety of food and wine and there’s live entertainment. www.harvestpicnic.com.au

March Possibly the most festival-packed month of the year, March has fine weather but everyone notices the turning leaves.

�zMoomba Moomba’s action is

focused around the Yarra River, where waterskiing and the wacky Birdman Rally (where competitors launch themselves into the

Month by Month

2 0

04-month-by-month-mel8.indd 20 10/03/2011 12:12:56 PMGreat OtwayNational

Park

CapeOtway

PortPhillip

LApollo Bay

orne

PortCampbell

Daylesford

Anglesea

AFairhaven

ireys Inlet

Ballarat

mbool

Melbou

Hepburn Springs

Twelvepostles

BellsBeach

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©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Looking for other travel resources?

LONELYPLANET.COMFor travel information, advice, tips & digital chapters

MAGAZINEFor travel stories, inspiration & ideaslonelyplanet.com/magazine

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STAY IN TOUCH lonelyplanet.com/contact

AUSTRALIA Locked Bag 1, Footscray, Victoria 3011%03 8379 8000, fax 03 8379 8111

USA 150 Linden St, Oakland, CA 94607%510 250 6400, toll free 800 275 8555, fax 510 893 8572

UK 186 City Rd, London, EC1V 2NT%020 7106 2100, fax 020 7106 2101

Paper in this book is certified against the Forest Stewardship Council™ standards. FSC™ promotes environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

Get the right guides for your trip

COUNTRY & CITY• The original• Comprehensive• Adventurous

DISCOVER• Best-of• Photo-packed• Inspirational

ENCOUNTER• Pocket-sized• Easy-to-use• Highlights

ylights

p• Adv us

pventurou

p• Inspira

yy• High

pational

REGIONAL• Cultural• Day trips & itineraries• In-depth

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Jayne D’ArcyPaul Harding, Donna Wheeler

#̂Melbournep52Great Ocean Road

p155

The Murrayp279

Gippsland &Wilsons Promontory

p230

The HighCountry

p254

Mornington Peninsula &Phillip Islandp214

Short Trips fromMelbourne

p133Goldfields &Grampians

p186

YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE

In-depth reviews, detailed listings

and insider tips

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Directory A–Z ................. 342Transport ........................ 349Index ................................ 360Map Legend .................... 367

VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO

HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP

ON THE ROAD

INTERNATIONAL VISITORS

Entering the Region All visitors to Australia must have a valid p‘special category’ visa on arrival). Tourist easiest way to obtain a visa is to apply forcan be done online (www.eta.immi.gov.au

CUSTOMS REGULATIONS » What to declare at customs: cash am

goods of animal or vegetable origin, includrugs and weapons are prohibited. Failuron-the-spot fine or prosecution.

25b-directory-mel8.indd 345 16/03/2011 11:10:19 AM

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NEXTPAGETOP EXPERIENCES MAP

melbourne-victoria-8-cover.indd 2 1/04/2011 4:43:29 PM

Look out for these icons:

o Our author’s recommendation S A green or

sustainable option F No payment required

MELBOURNE . . . . . . . . 52

SHORT TRIPS FROM MELBOURNE . . . . . . . 133THE DANDENONGS . . . . 135

YARRA VALLEY . . . . . . . . . .137Healesville & the Lower Yarra Valley . . . . . . 138Warburton & the Upper Yarra Valley . . . . . . 141Marysville . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142Lake Mountain . . . . . . . . . 143

THE SPA COUNTRY . . . . . 144Daylesford & Hepburn Springs . . . . . . . 144

QUEENSCLIFF & THE BELLARINE PENINSULA . . . . . . . . . . . 150Queenscliff . . . . . . . . . . . . 150Point Lonsdale . . . . . . . . . 153Ocean Grove . . . . . . . . . . . 153Barwon Heads . . . . . . . . . 153

GREAT OCEAN ROAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155GEELONG . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

TORQUAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161

TORQUAY TO ANGLESEA . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

ANGLESEA . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

AIREYS INLET . . . . . . . . . . 165

LORNE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166Cumberland River . . . . . . 169Wye River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169Kennett River . . . . . . . . . . 170

Cape Patton to Skenes Creek . . . . . . . . . . 170

APOLLO BAY . . . . . . . . . . . .170Around Apollo Bay . . . . . . 172

CAPE OTWAY . . . . . . . . . . .173

CAPE OTWAY TO PORT CAMPBELL NATIONAL PARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .173

PORT CAMPBELL NATIONAL PARK . . . . . . . .174

PORT CAMPBELL . . . . . . .174

PORT CAMPBELL TO WARRNAMBOOL . . . . . . . .176

WARRNAMBOOL . . . . . . . .177

TOWER HILL RESERVE . . . 180

PORT FAIRY . . . . . . . . . . . 180

PORTLAND . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

PORTLAND TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA . . . . . . . . . . . . 184Cape Bridgewater . . . . . . 184Nelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184

GOLDFIELDS & GRAMPIANS . . . . . . . 186BALLARAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187

BENDIGO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

GOLDFIELDS TOWNS . . . 199Kyneton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199Castlemaine . . . . . . . . . . .200Around Castlemaine . . . .203Maldon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203Maryborough . . . . . . . . . .204

GRAMPIANS NATIONAL PARK (GARIWERD) . . . . . 205Halls Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . .208

Dunkeld & the Southern Grampians . . . . 210Wartook Valley & the Northern Grampians . . . . 211WEST OF THE GRAMPIANS . . . . . . . . . . . .211Horsham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211Mt Arapiles State Park . . . 211Little Desert National Park . . . . . . . . . . 212

MORNINGTON PENINSULA & PHILLIP ISLAND. . . . 214MORNINGTON PENINSULA . . . . . . . . . . . 215Mornington . . . . . . . . . . . . 216Mornington to Blairgowrie . . . . . . . . . . . . 218Sorrento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219Portsea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221Point Nepean National Park . . . . . . . . . . 221Mornington Peninsula National Park . . . . . . . . . . 222Flinders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222Red Hill & Around . . . . . . 223FRENCH ISLAND . . . . . . . 223PHILLIP ISLAND . . . . . . . 225

GIPPSLAND & WILSONS PROMONTORY . . . . 230WEST GIPPSLAND . . . . . 231Walhalla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231SOUTH GIPPSLAND . . . . 234Inverloch . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234

On the Road

See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.

Bunurong Marine & Coastal Park . . . . . . . . . . . 235Korumburra . . . . . . . . . . . . 235Koonwarra . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235Fish Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . .236WILSONS PROMONTORY NATIONAL PARK . . . . . . . 236EAST OF THE PROM . . . . 240Port Albert . . . . . . . . . . . . .240LAKES DISTRICT . . . . . . . 240Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240Ninety Mile Beach . . . . . . 241Bairnsdale . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242Paynesville & Raymond Island . . . . . . . .243Metung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243Lakes Entrance . . . . . . . . .244EAST GIPPSLAND & THE WILDERNESS COAST . . . 247Buchan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247Snowy River National Park . . . . . . . . . .248Errinundra National Park . . . . . . . . . .249Orbost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250Marlo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250Cape Conran Coastal Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250Mallacoota . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251Croajingolong National Park . . . . . . . . . . 253

THE HIGH COUNTRY . . . . . . . . .254BAW BAW NATIONAL PARK . . . . . . . 255Baw Baw Village . . . . . . . . 255

LAKE EILDON NATIONAL PARK . . . . . . . 255Eildon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258Jamieson . . . . . . . . . . . . . .259MANSFIELD . . . . . . . . . . . 259MT BULLER . . . . . . . . . . . . 261KING VALLEY & THE SNOW ROAD . . . . . . 263Milawa Gourmet Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263BEECHWORTH . . . . . . . . . 264YACKANDANDAH . . . . . . 266MYRTLEFORD . . . . . . . . . 267MT BUFFALO NATIONAL PARK . . . . . . . 268BRIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268MT BEAUTY & THE KIEWA VALLEY . . . . . . . . . .271FALLS CREEK . . . . . . . . . . 272HARRIETVILLE . . . . . . . . . 274MT HOTHAM & DINNER PLAIN . . . . . . . . . 275OMEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277

THE MURRAY . . . . . .279MILDURA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282SWAN HILL . . . . . . . . . . . . 287Around Swan Hill . . . . . . .289GUNBOWER NATIONAL PARK . . . . . . . 290ECHUCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290AROUND ECHUCA . . . . . . 295Barmah National Park . . .295YARRAWONGA . . . . . . . . . 295

RUTHERGLEN . . . . . . . . . 296AROUND RUTHERGLEN . . . . . . . . . 298Wahgunyah . . . . . . . . . . . .298Chiltern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .298WODONGA . . . . . . . . . . . . 299THE WAY NORTH . . . . . . . 299The Mallee . . . . . . . . . . . . .299Goulburn Valley . . . . . . . . 301Up the Hume . . . . . . . . . . .302

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LakeHindmarsh

LakeAlbacutya

LakeCorangamite

RocklandsReservoir

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Bass Strait

LakeBuloke

PopiltahLake

Popio LakeMuluruluLake

TravellersLake

LakeAgnes

LakeTyrrell

Point NepeanNational Park

BrisbaneRanges

National Park

Great OtwayNational Park

MountRichmond

National Park Mount EcclesNational Park

Hattah-Kulkyne

National Park

Murray-SunsetNational Park

Big DesertNationalPark

WyperfeldNational

Park

Little DesertNational Park

KinglakeNational

Park

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Park

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Mu rrayRiver

Murray River

Darlin

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Glene

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Mt Difficul

Swan Hill

Kerang

Aireys Inlet

Robinvale

Naracoorte

Renmark

Dunkeld

PortFairy

Maryborough

Halls Gap

Lorne

PortCampbell

ApolloBay

MaldonCastlemaine

KynetonDaylesford

Anglesea

Flinders

Portsea

Hay

Ouyen

Heywood

Ararat

Queenscliff

St Arnaud

MountGambier

Avoca

Lismore

HastingsTorquay

Portland

Warracknabeal

Echuca

Warrnambool

Bendigo

Seymour

Gisborne

Mildura

Ballarat

Geelong

Horsham

Hamilton

DandenongWerribee

Melbourne

Skenes CreekWye River

Mt ArapilesState Park

BarmahNational

Park

PortCampbell

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Tower HillReserve

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› Melbourne & Victoria

MelbourneLaneways, arcades, greatfashion and food (p52)

Great Ocean RoadLighthouses, surf and

limestone stacks (p155) Phillip IslandParading penguins and

great beaches (p225)

GrampiansCraggy sandstone outcrops

ripe for climbing (p205)

MilduraPaddlesteamers and wineries

in a balmy climate (p282)

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LakeMokoan Lake

Dartmout

LakeEildon

LakeBallyrogan

LakeWellington

HumeReservior

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Burrowa-PineMountain

National Park

Tara BulgaNational Park

Dandenong RangesNational Park

Baw BawNational

Park

Mitchell RiverNational Park

CroajingalongNational Park

Alpine NationalPark

WilsonsPromontory

National Park

CoopracambraNational Park

ErrinundraNational Park

Snowy RiverNational Park

Mt BuffaloNational Park

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Ninety MileBeach

FosterPortAlbert

Eildon

Marysville

Rutherglen

BeechworthMyrtleford

MountBeauty

Bairnsdale

Paynesville Metung

Tidal River

Walhalla

Koonwarra

FishCreek

Buchan

Jamieson

FallsCreekHarrietville

MtHotham

YackandandahChiltern Corryong

Mallacoota

Marlo

Traralgon

Inverloch

Healesville

Bright

LakesEntrance

Yarrawonga

Omeo

Yarram

KorumburraLeongatha

Wonthaggi

Mansfield

Orbost

Goulburn

AlburyWodonga

Bega

SaleWarragul Moe

Wangaratta

Benalla

Warburton

Shepparton

Morwell

WaggaWagga Canberra

Lake EildonNational Park

Cape ConranCoastal Park

Bunurong Marine& Coastal Park

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Wilsons PromontorySpectacular southernmost

coastline (p236)

Gippsland LakesCamp, fish, eat

and relax (p240)

High Country AdventureSki in winter,

cycle in summer (p254)

ELEVATION

0

300m

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Itiner-aries

Whether you’ve got four days or 40, these itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to chat with other travellers.

Two to Three DaysMelbourne to Melbourne via Sorrento and Queenscliff

Head Mornington-way from Melbourne, then cross the Peninsula and have a break in the antique stores at Tyabb on the way to Stony Point. From here take the ferry to French

Island for some quiet time, before returning to the mainland and having a stroll along the beach at Point Leo. Head inland to check out a couple of Red Hill wineries, then turn back to the coast and continue to the Cape Schanck lighthouse. Next stop is the Peninsula Hot Springs in Rye, then the refi ned town of Sorrento. Keep an eye out for dolphins while you’re on the Sorrento-Queenscliff car ferry and take a deep breath as you approach the historic town of Queenscliff . Spend a day here, heading out to the foodie spots on the Bellarine Peninsula and west to the joined-by-a-bridge towns of Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove. Get onto the Bellarine Hwy and spend a bit of time admiring Corio Bay from Geelong, Victoria’s second-biggest city, before returning to Melbourne on the Princes Hwy.

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One WeekMurray River

It’s not easy to lose your way on this route: simply fi nd the Murray River (via the Calder Hwy from Melbourne) and stick to it. Start at Mildura at the top of the Murray, and

head east against the fl ow. Mildura is a lovely town to get acquainted with; its food and wine are worth the fi ve-hour trip from Melbourne alone. Head to Swan Hill and visit its Pioneer Village before tucking into some unexpectedly good Thai and Japanese food. Snap a photo with the Giant Murray Cod by the information centre then set off , stopping at farm gates along the way, for Echuca. Here you can hop on a paddle steamer or take some time out admiring the Murray from the towering historic port. You can head back to Melbourne from here (it’ll take around 3 hours) or continue on to Yarrawonga. Check out Lake Mul-wala, and hop on a lunch cruise around this dammed section of the river to get among the sculpture-like remains of long-dead trees. Continue on your way to ‘sticky’ Rutherglen, Victoria’s home of fortifi ed wines, before getting on the Hume Fwy back to Melbourne.

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Two WeeksHigh Country & Gippsland Touring

Victoria’s High Country is the best place in the state for car and motorcycle touring, especially outside the winter months, when even the highest roads are clear of snow.

Taking the Great Alpine Rd, you can sail right over the mountains and down to the coast at Gippsland. Now that’s an adventure.

Start your journey by heading up through the Yarra Valley, over the scenic Black Spur and up to Eildon, the base for fi shing and houseboat holidays on Lake Eildon. From here, take the recently sealed southern road around the lake to Jamieson, a quaint little former gold-mining town with a renowned brewery. The road winds north from here to the all-seasons adventure town of Mansfi eld, gateway to Mt Buller and a base for horse riding and mountain biking. The utterly scenic Mansfi eld-Whitfi eld Rd winds up and over the ranges before plunging down to the King Valley – don’t miss Power’s Lookout about halfway along. Spend some time in the King Valley – an underrated wine region – before hitting the gourmet trail along the Snow Rd between Milawa and Myrtleford. By now you’re on the Great Alpine Rd. Carry on to Bright, famous for its autumn colours and spring blossoms, before continuing on to Harrietville and the winding, hairpin ascent of Mt Hotham. En-joy the expansive Alpine views from the summit before continuing to Dinner Plain and through alpine meadows to the historic town of Omeo.

An alternative route from Bright is via Mt Beauty and Bogong Village to Falls Creek, then on the recently sealed road linking Falls with the Omeo Hwy. After taking a breather in Omeo, start your descent along the Tambo River though stunning valleys and farmland to Bruthen. From here it’s an easy drive to Bairnsdale or Lakes Entrance, where you can recuperate on the beach before deciding whether to continue east to Mallacoota, on the remote Wilderness Coast, or turn west and return to Melbourne via the Gippsland Lakes and Wilsons Promontory.

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Three WeeksGreat Ocean Road & Grampians

The Great Ocean Road is one of the most popular touring routes in the country, and it’s no surprise to discover that it is worth the hype. Take two weeks to get the best from this

region, then take another week to wind down via the Grampians and Goldfi elds. Start in the surfi ng mecca of Torquay by checking out the waves at Bells Beach, then

head to family-friendly Anglesea to see the kangaroos at its golf course and take a break by its river. Aireys Inlet is next; tour the lighthouse before a beach walk at Fairhaven and a coff ee and overnight stay in the resort town of Lorne. The Great Ocean Road is in its ele-ment now, but you can break up the sea views with a detour up into the rainforests of the Otway Ranges. Back on the Great Ocean Road, head to the fi shing village of Apollo Bay for a day or two then continue west into the koala and lighthouse zone of Cape Otway. It’s quite a stretch to Port Campbell National Park and its famed Twelve Apostles; take the time to count them and spend a night in Port Campbell to get a real feel for the area. Look for whales off the coast of Warrnambool then continue west to quaint, and very Irish, Port Fairy. If there’s time, head to tiny Cape Bridgewater to check out the seal population and wind farms, then head inland towards the Grampians from Portland or Port Fairy.

On the way to the Grampians stop for a meal (voted Victoria’s best in 2011) in tiny Dun-keld. Spend a few days among the granite rock formations at Halls Gap, and visit some of the local wineries. Head back Melbourne-way via the gold-rush town of Ballarat. Check out its art gallery, antique stores and grand buildings before taking a detour to the goldfi eld towns of Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, now more famous for their natural mineral springs. Head through Trentham and Blackwood to the Western Hwy and you’ll be back in Melbourne in an hour.

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One DayDandenongs

A mere 35km from Melbourne, the Dan-denongs’ leafy respite is favoured by day-

trippers, and you’ll fi nd shops, restaurants and sights geared up for visitors. From the Burwood Hwy head east to Belgrave; here’s where all climb aboard Puffing Billy for a steam train journey through the mountains to Gembrook. From Belgrave, take the Monbulk Rd through Dandenong Ranges National Park and head to Sassafras, which, apart from having a great name, has some good eating options. Head through Olinda to William Ricketts Sanctuary and round off the day by taking in the view from nearby Mt Dandenong (a view that’s even more spectacular at night).

Two DaysYarra Valley

This itinerary doesn’t take you too far out of Melbourne, but it does show off

Melbourne’s vineyard-fi lled backyard. Start in Melbourne and hit the Maroondah Hwy to antique-laden Coldstream. Continue along the Maroondah to Healesville, a lovely town on the edge of the Yarra Ranges National Park. Eat at the large winery, taste a beer at the brewery and enjoy its small town charm. Head directly west to Yarra Glen, and up to Dixons Creek. The area was severely aff ected by bushfi res in 2009 and is still recovering. Be adventurous and head up the Melba Hwy, then take a left west to Kinglake. Start the journey back to Melbourne via St Andrews, stopping at its market, if you happen to stumble upon the town on a Saturday.

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Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

OUR WRITERS

OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their fi rst travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offi ces in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 9838th edition – July 2011ISBN 978 1 74179 588 2© Lonely Planet 2011 Photographs © as indicated 201110 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

Jayne D’Arcy Coordinating author, Melbourne, Short Trips Around Melbourne, Great Ocean Road Growing up in the Victorian seaside suburb of Frankston had its advantages for Jayne; it motivated her to catch the train through all three zones to hang out in Prahran’s Greville St, Fitzroy’s Brunswick St, St Kilda and the Queen Vic Market. She hit 18 and swapped countries before returning and swapping geographical sides of the bay, making Geelong and Anglesea her home while she studied jour-

nalism. After a longish spell working in community radio in East Timor, she fi nally settled with her family in Melbourne’s vibrant north (in Zone 1, just). When she’s not riding her French 1970s folding bike around North Fitzroy, booking fl ights or pretending to renovate, Jayne writes for the Age in Melbourne. This is her seventh book for Lonely Planet.

Paul Harding Short Trips Around Melbourne, Goldfi elds & Grampians, Mornington & Phil-lip Island, Gippsland & Wilsons Promontory, The High Country, The Murray Melbourne-born but country-raised, Paul spent childhood summers in the Gippsland Lakes, and later many fi shing and camping trips along the Murray River and ski trips to Mt Hotham. He’s since seen (and written about) a good part of the world, but still calls this part of Australia home. For this edition, Paul

travelled around most of regional Victoria and discovered – yet again – what a beautiful state this is. A freelance writer and photographer, Paul has contributed to more than 30 Lonely Planet guides, including numerous Australian titles.

Donna Wheeler Melbourne Today, History, Food & Wine, Fashion & Shopping, The Arts, Sport Sydney-born and raised, Donna fell in love with Melbourne as a teenage art stu-dent. Various stints in New York, London, rural Ireland and Italy aside, she has spent the better part of two decades trying to get used to Victoria’s weather. After careers as an editor, art director, digital producer and content strategist, Donna has embraced the solitude of the writer’s life and published widely on

contemporary art, design, history and food. She is ninemsn Travel’s Melbourne Insider and has written guides to Melbourne, Milan and Tunisia for Lonely Planet. She is also an occasional trend forecaster and consultant. Currently based in Turin, Donna misses Melbourne’s easy-going but always spot-on style, gingerbread breakfasts at Cumulus Inc, and all her haunts on Smith St, Collingwood.